The Liverpool defender has officially confirmed his departure, announcing that he will leave at the end of the season when his contract expires. ..Continue Reading
The 26-year-old, who featured in Sunday’s Premier League loss to Chelsea, took to social media on Monday to share the emotional news.
Liverpool followed up with a statement acknowledging his decision, as speculation surrounding his next destination continues.
Although Alexander-Arnold has yet to reveal his plans, Real Madrid remains a strong contender given their long-standing interest in securing his signature.
A free transfer appears likely, with his current deal set to run out.
Should he complete a move to Madrid, it would bring an end to his lifelong connection with Liverpool, the club where he rose through the ranks from the academy to the first team.
During his time at Anfield, he made 352 appearances, winning two Premier League titles and a Champions League among other honors.
Alexander-Arnold has consistently worn the No.66 shirt throughout his Liverpool career, but he will be required to take a different squad number if he joins Real Madrid.
La Liga regulations dictate that clubs must register their first-team squads using numbers between 1 and 25.
Players in the 25-man senior squad must wear a number within that range, while goalkeepers are restricted to 1, 13, or 25.
Meanwhile, reserve players who step into the first team are assigned numbers between 26 and 50.
Alexander-Arnold has previously worn 2, 7, 8, and 10 while playing for England, and currently, only three first-team squad numbers are available at Madrid.
The lowest vacant squad number is 12, while 24 and 25 are also unoccupied—though No.25 is typically allocated to the third-choice goalkeeper.
Additional squad numbers could become available depending on player exits this summer.
Explaining his decision to leave Liverpool at the end of the campaign, Alexander-Arnold said: “I think first and foremost, I want to say it’s not an easy decision and there’s a lot of thought and feeling that has gone into it. I’ve been here 20 years now, loved every single minute of it, achieved all my dreams, achieved everything I’ve ever wanted to here.
“Giving everything day in, day out for 20 years, I’ve got to a point now where I feel like I need a new change, a new challenge for me as a player and as a person. And I think now is the right time for me to do that.”
